Cabinet: Egypt continues its efforts towards improving the health system as it is a basic pillar of human development
The Cabinet Media Center confirmed that the state is moving forward towards achieving its strategic vision to advance the health sector, out of its keenness to improve the quality of life of citizens, as it has worked to enhance spending on this vital sector, and implement its ambitious plans to provide comprehensive health coverage according to the highest standards, and develop… Health infrastructure through the establishment and development of hospitals and medical centers, and raising the efficiency of health services in them, in addition to expanding the coverage of the comprehensive health insurance system and launching health initiatives for various segments of society, in an effort by the state to provide an integrated and sustainable health system, as a basic pillar for achieving development. This was stated in the report published by the Cabinet Media Center, which included infographics that shed light on Egypt’s continuing efforts towards Improving the health system as a fundamental pillar for building humanity, on the occasion of World Universal Health Coverage Day.
The report reviewed the development of the health sector and the improvement of its indicators, explaining that the value of spending on the health sector amounted to one trillion. pounds during the period from 2014 to 2024, while the cost of the efforts made in the treatment system at the state’s expense amounted to 107.6 billion pounds during the period from 2014 to 2024.
This comes as the percentage of increase in the number of citizens who were treated at the state’s expense inside the country reached 23.5%, as their number reached 2.1 million citizens as of October 2024, compared to 1.7 million citizens in general 2014, and the rate of increase in the total number of hospitals reached 61.4%, as their number reached 2,700 hospitals in 2024, compared to 1,673 hospitals in 2014.
The report also discussed the new comprehensive health insurance system, pointing out that it aims to Improving the health of all citizens through comprehensive health insurance coverage within the framework of justice and quality, which is implemented through 6 stages.
And regarding the first stage of the system Comprehensive health insurance. The report indicated that the President of the Republic launched it in July 2019, and its implementation was completed in the governorates (Port Said – Luxor – Ismailia – South Sinai – Suez – Aswan), at a cost of 51.2 billion pounds, more than 5 million citizens registered through it, and more than 57 million services were provided through it.
In the same context, the report touched on the second phase of the comprehensive health insurance system, Which includes the governorates of (Damietta – Matrouh – Kafr El-Sheikh – North Sinai – Minya), at a cost of 151 billion pounds, and it is intended that 12.8 million citizens will benefit from it. As for presidential initiatives, the report stated that the cost of implementing 14 presidential initiatives launched in all medical specialties amounted to 32.2 billion pounds, indicating that these initiatives provided 212.9 million services to 94 million citizens.
The report reviewed the most prominent of these. Presidential initiatives, including the initiative to eliminate Hepatitis C and detect noncommunicable diseases, during which 63 million citizens were examined and 4.6 million citizens treated, as well as the initiative to support women’s health, during which Receiving 55.5 million visits from women to receive screening and awareness services.
This comes as 16.4 million citizens were examined within the initiative to screen and treat chronic diseases and early detection of kidney disease, and 2.4 million cases benefited from the services of the initiative to end waiting lists. While more than 7 million students were examined through the initiative for early detection of anemia, obesity and stunting in primary schools.
The report monitored the vision of international institutions for the development of the health sector in Egypt, pointing out Egypt’s total score on the comprehensive health coverage index improved to exceed the global average, reaching 70 points in 2021, compared to 65 points in 2015, noting that the global average reached 68 points in 2021.
UNICEF also stated that the healthcare system Health care in Egypt is witnessing many positive change initiatives driven by the strong leadership of the Egyptian government and cooperation with various development partners and local communities.
